The Arena 2019

In 2019, The Arena hosted its most ambitious programme to date. Panel discussions and roundtables took place each day at 15:00 for the entire duration of the Graduation Show, which ran from October 19 until October 27.

In addition to this, The Arena hosted graduate content throughout the day from 11:00 to 18:00, with performances, presentations and interviews. The Arena was given a more central position in the layout of the exhibition, reflecting the fact that research-based projects, performance and challenging design discourse are becoming more of a priority for both graduates and the Academy.

SELECTED CONTENT

Among the student presentations this year was Felicity Morris, who broadcast poems as part of her Bed-Post-Bed project. Shaakira Jassat shared Waiting for Water, a series of architectural interventions that function as urban water collectors. Jonas Görgen, graduating from the Motion department, shared the design process behind Minimal Water, an ingenious way to drastically reduce water use while showering and washing hands.

A panel discussion on Subjective AI expanded upon the fact that machine learning and artificial intelligence are biased and thus subjective realms. The panel featured a series of critical practitioners who investigate machine learning and AI in their work, including DAE graduate Vera van der Burg, London-based artist and researcher Wesley Goatley, Berlin-based neural artist Sofia Crespo and Vera van de Seyp, designer and coder.

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin of Formafantasma joined The Arena stage as the heads of the new GEO–DESIGN MA. Joining them on stage was Martina Muzi, curator of the GEO–DESIGN: Junk. All That Is Solid Melts into Trash exhibition, alongside selected exhibitors and Joseph Grima, creative director of DAE. The panel was moderated by Rebecca Lewin, curator, Exhibitions and Design at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The panel asked how GEO—DESIGN unfolds as a practice and delved into existing examples from the GEO—DESIGN: Junk. exhibition and specific graduate work from the GS19 show.

Our MA department The Critical Inquiry Lab also hosted a panel around the theme of Empathic Research. The panel was moderated by the incoming head of the MA, Saskia van Stein. It featured Nick Aikens, curator at the Van Abbemuseum, alongside graduates Tiiu Meiner and Lara Chapman, who discussed how a design researcher can display complex cultural topics without creating overly simplistic narratives.